Sand spreading mechanism with reversible conveyer



June 13, 1961 D. R. KERR SAND SPREADING MECHANISM WITH REVERSIBLE CONVEYER Filed Nov. 28, 1958 cor-m Gm N m m N i 5 Sheets-$heet 1 INVENTOR.

Dona/Q A. Kerr A TTO ENEYS.

SAND SPREADING MECHANISM WITH REVERSIBLE CONVEYER Filed NOV. 28, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z i 7 A B INVENTOR.

/ L Dona/d R. Kerr I 7 S 46 ATTORNEY 5.

June 13, 1961 D. R. KERR 2,988,363 I SAND SPREADING MECHANISM WITH REVERSIBLE CONVEYER Filed Nov. 28, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 21a I i INVENTOR. Dona/Q R. Kerr 14 TTOENEXS. y

June 13, 1961 D. R. KERR 2,988,368

SAND SPREADING MECHANISM WITH REVERSIBLE CONVEYER Filed Nov. 28, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. 00/70/62 R. /(err ATTORNEYS.

D. R. KERR June 13, 1961 SAND SPREADING MECHANISM WITH REVERSIBLE CONVEYER Filed NOV. 28, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent M 2,988,368 SA'ND SPREADING MECHANISM WITH REVERSIBLE CONVEYER Donald R. Kerr, Bncyrus, Ohio, assignor to Anthony J. Torrey, Framingham, Mass. Filed Nov. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 777,111 8 Claims. (Cl. 275-8) My invention relates to sand spreaders and relates more particularly to sand spreading mechanisms adapted to be employed with standard trucks or other vehicles for distributing sand on roads, the volume and distribution of the sand being variable to suit different road conditions.

My invention involves improvements over structures illustrated, described and claimed in US. Letters Patent 2,705,149 issued March 29, 1955, and in application for US. Letters Patent filed August 27, 1956, Serial No. 606,361, now abandoned.

The improvements involved in the present invention include cab operated means for operating the sand spreader from within the vehicle to achieve complete control of the various operative movements of the sand spreader mechanism during driving; improved means for controlling the spread of the material; a readily detachable motor operated unit for driving the spreader mechanism and adapted to be optionally mounted centrally or rearwardly of the vehicle; hydraulic means adapted for assembly with the spreader motor mechanism to drive the conveyor in either direction; and means for optionally enlarging the capacity of the standard truck for utilization of the mechanism in trucks of difi'erent size, type, and height.

It is an object of my invention to provide in a sand spreading mechanism of the type referred to, improved control means.

It is a further object of my invention to provide in a sand spreading mechanism of the type referred to, improved spreading and greater flexibility.

A still further object of my invention is to provide sand spreading mechanism which can be mounted either centrally or at the rear of a truck and which is under the control of the driver of the truck during operation of the truck.

Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will become more apparent by reference to the drawings illustrating the invention and the description which follows.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a conventional dump truck with the sand spreadingdevice of my invention mounted thereupon;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of the mechanism of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a section taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of a truck-type vehicle showing the embodiment of FIG. 6 mounted thereupon; and

FIG. 9 is a vertical section taken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

This invention comprises in general a large hopper adapted to be loaded with sand or the like abrasive material for mounting upon a truck. The hopper is open at the bottom thereof and provided with conveyor means for moving the sand either forwardly or rearwardly to a pair of chutes which direct the sand downwardly toward the surface of the road. A pair of spinners is provided which project downwardly through the chutes to deflect and scatter the falling sand in a desired pattern. Suitable 2,988,368 Patented June 13, 1961 power mechanism is provided adjacent the spinners, and control means for operating the entire sand spreading unit are mounted within the cab of the truck.

The present device is adapted to be mounted either within the bed of a conventional dump-type truck or directly to the frame of the truck. When mounted to a dump truck, the mechanism is adapted for sand spreading from the rear of the vehicle. When mounted directly to the truck frame, said sand spreading mechanism may optionally be mounted either at the rear of the vehicle or immediately behind the cab forwardly of the hopper. FIG. 1 shows the device of the present invention mounted to a dump truck with the sand spreading device positioned rearwardly; FIG. 8 shows the hopper mounted directly to a truck frame with the sand spreading mechanism positioned intermediate the ends of said truck, forwardly of the hopper.

The present application includes two embodiments of the sand spreading mechanism, the details of which will be herein later thoroughly described. I also anticipate that the power source for actuating the sand spreading mechanism may optionally be either an independent motor mounted adjacent the spinner or a power take-off from the prime mover of the truck itself.

Referring now to the drawings in all of which like parts are designated by like reference characters and particularly to FIG. 1, the sand spreading device of my invention is generally indicated at 1 and is mounted within the bed 2 of a conventional dump truck 3. The sand spreading device 1 comprises a hopper 10 having downwardly converging walls 11. Said hopper is unitarily mounted upon parallel, longitudinal frame members 12 at the bottom thereof having channel shaped, transverse members 13 rigidly secured thereto. A Wooden member 14 of generally rectangular cross section is preferably interfitted with the channel shaped transverse member 13 whereby said transverse member is spaced upwardly a slight distance from the bottom surface 4 of the truck bed 2. Vertical brace members 15 welded or otherwise suitably secured to the converging side walls 11 provide rigidity and support to said walls.

The hopper 10 is maintained on the dump bed 2 by means of hold down clamp assembly 16 as detailed and best shown in FIG. 2. The hold down clamp assembly 16 comprises an adjustment rod 17 having a hook 17' on one end thereof adapted to engage an apertured ear member 18 welded adjacent the uppermost end of one of the brace members 15. The opposite end. of the rod 17 projects through an apertured brace 19 welded or otherwise suitably secured to the dump bed flange as indicated at 2. A T-shaped handle 20 having an internally threaded shank 20 is thread fitted upon the outwardly projecting end of the rod 17 and is adapted to be tightened against the apertured brace 19 to maintain the hopper 10 in position.

By referring to FIG. 5 it will be noted that the sand spreader itself, generally indicated at 30, comprises a rectangular, centrally open frame 31 detachably mounted to the rearmost end of the longitudinal frame member 12 by means of a pair of support brackets 21 and bolts 21a. The spreader frame 31 is provided with a pair of downwardly directed chutes 32 and 32 adjacent the rearward end of the frame member 12, said frame 3-1 projecting laterally from said chutes to provide support for small motor 33. The motor 33 may be of any suitable type, such as a small gasoline engine, and is adapted, through clutch 29 and chain and sprocket drives indicated generally at 44 and 45, to drive a sand conveyer 22 through a reduction gear box 23 and a pair of sand spreading spinners 40 and 40' by means of a transfer gear box 24 and a pair of spinner gear boxes 25 and 25. Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, it will be noted that the conveyer 22. is posi- 2,988,368 I V A 3 tioned immediately belowthe open bottom hopper 10, extending longitudinally thereof whereby the sand from said hopper can be carried in the direction of the sand spreader and the chutes 32 and 32thereof. Said conveyer comprises a stationary platform 34 which is downwardly curved asshown at 35 adjacent the chutes 32-32. The

away from the sprockets 37-37 by means of an adjusting device as indicated at 38b. Transverse bars or scrapers 39 are mounted between thechains 36-36 to movealong the surface of the platform 34 to convey the Sand to the chutes 32-32. The reduction gear box 23 drives the shaft 23a at areduced speed whereby the conveyer 22 moves the sand into the chutes 32-32 at the desired speed and in the desired amount.

' Referring now particularly to FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 7, it .will be noted that thespinners 40 and 40' are positioned bel-owlthe :cl iutes 32 and 32' respectively by means of a .pair of spinner shafts 41 and 41' suspended from and rotated bythe spinner gear boxes 25 and 25. The spinner gear boxes, spinner shafts, and spinners are substantially mirror images of each other in construction whereby they rotate in opposite directions, and it will be understood that the part numerals which apply to those parts associated with thespinner gear box 25 also designate similar parts associated with the spinner gear box 25', with the exception that each numeral is primed in the lat- ,ter instance. V

The spinners 4t) and 40 are driven through the spinner gear boxes 25 and 25' by means of a common drive shaft 42 projecting laterally from the transfer gear box 24. One end of the drive shaft 42 is journaled for rotation within the transfer gear box 24 as indicated at 24a and has mounted thereupon a beveled gear 420 which meshes with a similar beveled gear 43a mounted to a shaft 43. As well shown in FIG. 5, the shaft 43 is driven off the motor 33 by means of the sprocket assemblies 44 and 45 and the interconnecting shaft 46 between said sprocket assemblies.

The spinner gear box 25 houses intermeshing beveled gears 47 and 48. The beveled gear 47 is mounted to rotate with the drive shaft 42, and the beveled gear 48 is secured to the spinner shaft 41 by means of a cotter pin 41a. The spinner gear box 25 is provided with a downwardly extending, tubular sleeve portion 26 through which the spinner shaft 41 projects and in which said spinner shaft is rotatably mounted. The sleeve portion 26 of the spinner gear box 25 provides rigidity and stability to the rotating spinner shaft 41 and the associated S in e The spinner 40 comprises a circular disk having an upwardly projecting, tubular hub portion 40a mounted upon the lowermost end of the spinner shaft 41. The upper .surface of the spinner 40 is provided with a plurality of curved, upwardly projecting, radiating blades 40b which are adapted upon rotation of said spinner, to effectively deflect and scatter sand which is falling from the chute 32. From the above description, it will be understood that the spinners 40 and 40' are caused to rotate in opposite directions by means of the drive shaft 42, the spinner gear boxes and associated gears, and the drive shafts 41 and 41. The sand which is delivered to the chutes 32-32 by means of the conveyer 22 drops downwardly upon the rotating spinners and is deflected by the deflector blades 40b and 40b to scatter the sand in a desired pattern.

Referring now to FIG. 4, it Will be noted that the entire spinner assemblies are individually tiltable about the 4 axis of the drive shaft 42. This is possible due to the fact that said drive shaft is rotatably mounted in the housings 25-25 as indicated at 25a-25a and that the gears 47-47 are also rotatably mounted within said spinner gear boxes as indicated at 25b-25b'.

As best seen in FIG. 4, adjustment means for the spinner 40-comprise a strap 47b pivoted a t-one end'thereof to anintegnally formed journal 26a of the sleeve portion 26 and being bolted at the other end thereof to a downwardly projecting bracket 48 welded or otherwise suitably secured to the frame 31. A bolt 49 projects through the bracket 48 and into a longitudinal slot 47a in the free end of the strap 47. ;By means of a tightening nut 490: threaded upon the outwardly projecting end of the bolt 49, the

.strapmay-befirmly secured in a plurality of longitudinal positionsrelative to the bracket 48. The spinner 40 can, therefore, be tilted away fromthe vertical in either a for- .ward or rearward direction as indicated by brokenlines .end of the deflector blades 40b whereby it .is spread thicker immediately behind the truck and isspread over a narrower area than when the plane of the spinner is positioned parallel with the ground, the spinner shaft 41 being in a vertical position. Tilting of the spinner 40 to the dq fid p sition B in FIG. .4 will cause the pattern of spreadand concentration to ,be in the opposite direction whereas the full line positionindicates the point at which said spinner will scatter sand evenly and equally in all .d cs ons.

volume of sand delivered to the impellers iscontrolled bymeans of an adjustable gate as illustrated in FIG. 3. The converging end wall of the hopper 10 which .is .adiacentthe sand spreading mechanism and designated 1 1a is provided with ,apair of ,angular guides 60 and.60. The guides 60-60 are positioned in parallel relationship on either side ,of a rectangular opening ,61 in .theend ,wall 11a. The opening 61 is directly above the conveyer 22 whereby sand may be delivered to said conveyer. A gate 62 is adapted to slidably ,interfit the guides 60-60 where- .by said gate may be raised or lowered to open or close the opening 61. A lever 63 is pivoted to the end wall 11a by means of a stud 64 to one side of the opening 61, one end of said lever being slotted at 6311 and telescoped over a stud ,65 mounted in the ,gate 62. By pivoting the lever 63 at the outermost end thereof the gate 62 may be raised orlowered. Means for holding the lever in any adjusted position may be provided in any suitable manner.

It is apparent that the position of the gate as well as the speed of the conveyer will determine the volume of sand which is delivered to the impeller by the conveyer. By controlling this volume the thickness of the deposit of the sand may be varied which allows the operator to drive the truck at different speeds depending .upon road conditions. For example, in a congested area, it may be necessary to drive the truck very slowly in which case the volume .of sand delivered to the impellers would be low. In rural areas where the truck may be driven more rapidly, the rate of flow of sand may be more rapid to produce satisfactory coverage.

To aid in controlling the spread of sand from the spinners 40-40, I provide a pair of adjustable deflector units generally indicated at 70 and 70' in FIG. 3. The deflector units are mounted at either side to a box-like frame 71 suspended beneath the frame 31 by means of a pair of support brackets 72 and 72' of angular shape, said brackets being welded or otherwise suitably secured beneath the frame 31 and to laterally disposed, vertically upright members 73 and 73 of the deflector unit frame 71. The lowermost ends of the upright members 73-73 are rigidly connected by means of a cross beam 74 bolted at either end thereof to said uptights 73-73 by means of bolts and nut assemblies as indicated at 74a and 74a respectively.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, the deflector units 70-70 comprise mounting plates 75-75. of rectangular form longitudinally welded orotherwise suitably secured to the frame 71 adjacent the lowermost edge thereof. The mounting plate 75 is provided with a pair of longitudinally interspaced support arms 76 welded or otherwise suitably secured thereto and pro jccting vertically downwardly therefrom. The mounting plate 75' is similarly provided with a pair of support arms 76. The lowermost ends of the support arms 76-76 provide pivotal mounting means for a pair of deflector plates 77-77 associated respectively with the arms 76-76. The deflector plates 77-77 are provided with longitudinally interspaced, perpendicular lugs 78-78. Studs 79-79 project through suitable apertures in the support arms 76-76 and the lugs 78-78 to provide pivotalmounting for the deflector plates 77-77.

As best seen in FIG. 1, a lift lug 80 is secured to the deflector plate 77 intermediate the lugs 78. The deflector plate 77 is similarly provided with a lift lug 80. Bell crank levers 81-81 are pivoted upon the mounting plates 75-75 by means of pivot studs 82-82. Lift links 83-83 interconnect the downwardly directed ends 81a-81a' of said bell crank levers to the lift lugs 80-80. By pivoting said bell cranks about the pivot studs 82-82, the deflector plates 77-77 are pivotable I:om the full line showing of FIG. 3 to the dotted line showing thereof.

Said bell crank levers arcpivotally actuated from the cab of the truck by means of a pair of handles 84-84 interconnected with the uppermost ends of the bell crank levers as indicated at S lk-81b by means of a Bowden type cable 85. By manual movement of the control handles 84-84 in diflerent directions, the operator is able to change the angles of the deflector plates 77-77 whereby the spread of sand is elfectively controlled. This is particularly advantageous when spreading sand close to parked automobiles or the like where it may be necessary to prevent the sand from spreading laterally in one direction from the truck but wherein it is desired to allow the sand to spread in the opposite direction. To do this the operator can adjust one of the deflector plates to a vcrtical or slightly inwardly angled position While adjusting the other deflector plate to a horizontal position.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the clutch 29 which engages the motor 33 to drive the conveyer 22 and the spinners 40 and 40 is actuated by means of a vacuum controller 86 mounted beneath said motor. The vacuum controller 86 is provided with an outwardly projecting, reciprocable rod 87 pivotally connected to a lever 28, projecting downwardly from the clutch 29. Said vacuum controller is powered by the motor 33 and is controllable from the cab of the truck as indicated at 88 by means of an interconnecting electrical line 89. An electric switch located in the cab at 88 energizes a solenoid (not shown) in the vacuum controller 86 which directs the vacuum in a well-known manner to cause the rod 87 to move either longitudinally outwardly or inwardly. This movement pivots the clutch lever 28 thus engaging or disengaging the clutch 29, as desired by the operator.

A starter button 90 for starting the motor 33 is also mounted within the cab of the truck, said starter button being connected to said motor through an electrical line 91. A Bowden type control cable 92 interconnects the motor 33 \m'th a throttle 93 mounted within the cab of the truck whereby speed of said motor is controllable by the operator.

Thus it will be seen that the operator of my improved sand spreading device can operate the sand spreading mechanism entirely from the cab of the .truck. He has readily available to him a starter button for starting the motor 33 and the throttle 93 for regulating speed of said motor after it has been started; he can engage or disengage the spinners 40-40' and the conveyer 22 at will by means of the switch 88 which controls the vacuum controller 86; and he can control the lateral spread of the sand by actuating either or both of the deflectors 77-77 by means of the control handles 84-84 respectively. r j I r Referring now to the embodiment of my invention as shown in FIGS 6, 8, and 9, it will be understood that the conveyer, spinners, and deflectors, operate directly through mechanism which is substantially similar to that found in the first embodiment of my invention, the details of which need not be repeated here. Briefly, the spinners are operated through spinner gear boxes and 100 whereby said spinners project downwardly through chutes 101 and 101 mounted adjacent the forward end of a hopper 110, said hopper being of substantially similar construction to the hopper 10 of the first embodiment of my invention but being mounted directly upon a truck frame 102 instead of being mounted within the bed of a dump truck. The chutes 101- 101 are mounted forward of the hopper by means of a frame 103 which is in turn detachably mounted to longitudinal frame members 112-112 of the hopper by means of angled support brackets 121 and bolts 121a. A transfer gear box 104 is also mounted upon the frame 103 along with a reduction gear box 105. The transfer gear box 104, as in the first embodiment of my invention, is adapted to drive the spinners through the spinner gear boxes 100-100 by means of a shaft 106. The reduction gear box 105 is adapted todrive a conveyer 122 by means of sprockets 107 and 107'. mounted upon a shaft 108 projecting laterally from said reduction gear box. As in the first embodiment of my invention, sand is delivered from the hopper by means of the conveyer 122 to the chutes 101-101 whereby said sand drops downwardly upon the spinner indicated at 109 in FIG. 8 to be distributed beneath the truck.

The deflectors indicated at 113 are operated through lift links 114, bell crank levers 115, Bowden type cables 116, and control handles 117 and 117' in a manner substantially similar to the first embodiment of my invention. The engine in the present embodiment of my invention is mounted to the frame 103 and is controlled by a starter button 118 and a throttle 119 which are mounted within the cab of the truck, also in a manner similar to that found in the first embodiment of my in vention. It will also be understood that the spinners 109 are forwardly and rearwardly adjustable as are the spinners 40-40 by the same type of mechanism, such mechanism not being shown in the second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, the means for transferring power from the engine 133 to the reduction gear box 105 and the transfer gear box 104 are hydraulic means. The engine 133 is adapted to drive a hydraulic pump 123 which is mounted directly to said engine. The hydraulic pump 123 is supplied with fluid from an oil tank 124 by means of an hydraulic line 125. A second hydraulic line 126 is connected to a standard, two-way parallel valve 127, which is in turn connected back to the oil tank 124 by means of a return line 128. A pair of hydraulic lines 129 and 130 connect the valve 127 to a hydraulic motor 131. Said hydraulic motor is provided with a drive shaft 132 which drives the transfer gear box 104 and the reduction gear box 105. The valve 127 is provided with an actuating handle whereby fluid is directed through the hydraulic motor 131 and through the tank 124. The handle 120 has three adjusted positions as indicated by the full line showing and the two dotted line showings of FIG. 6. The full line position designated by the letter F directs fluid through the line 129 to the hydraulic motor 131 and exhausts said fluid back through the valve by means of line 130 and to the tank by means of line 128. The dotted line position designated N directs the fluid from the pump 123 through the line 126, through the valve 127, and back to the tank 124 'by means or the line 128. In this position the hydraulic motor is not acituated and is in a neutral or nonoperating position. To reverse the hydraulic motor, the'handle -12,0 is placed in the dotted line position R whereby fluid'is directed through the line 130 to drive the hydraulic motor 131 inthe reverse direction after which the fluid is exhausted through the line 129, the valve 127 and the line 128 back to the tank 124.

'In the forward F position of the handle 120, the conveyer 122 runs in a forward direction relative to the truck whereby sand is conveyed from the hopper 110 to the chutes 101101'. 'Sand is thereby delivered to the spinners 109, and the sand spreading operation as herein before fully described takes place.

By reversing the direction of the conveyer 122, sand is carried t.) the rear of the truck and, therefore, to the rear of the hopper 110.

As best shown in FIG. 8, the modified hopper is provided with an additional slidable door or gate '140 mounted by means of angled slideways 141 to the rearwardly directed downwardly converging wall surface 111 of the hopper '110. It will be understood, of course, that the usual metering gate as shown in the first embodiment of my invention (not shown in the second embodiment) is provided at the forward end of the hopper adjacent the chutes 101, 101'.

The slidablegate 140 at the rear of the hopper makes it possible to use the sand spreading device of my invention not only for scattering sand on the roadway but also for stock piling the sand at intervals along the highway. It is well known that it is impossible for a single truck to carry enough sand for scattering beyond a limited distance. In icy weather, therefore, it is advantageous to have piles of sand stored at reasonable intervals along the highway whereby a sand spreading truck may be reloaded without driving many miles to a source of supply. The reversing features of this second modification makes the truck adaptable for such stock piling operations.

The valve 127 is operable through a reciprocating, Bowden type control cable 135 connected to a push pull type handle 136 mounted at any convenient point within the cab of the truck. This enables the operator of the vehicle to start or stop the engine, operate the deflectors, or stop, start or reverse the conveyer.

As illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, I provide an extender 150 for the'hopper 110 which, it will be understood, is equally adaptable for use with the hopper 10 of FIG. I. Said hopper extender comprises a rectangular frame made of inwardly directed, channel shaped beams 151 welded or otherwise suitably secured together at the corners. The inwardly bent, lower walls 153 of the beams 151 are slightly longer than the uppermost parallel walls 153 and are contiguously seated upon inwardly directed lips 109 of the hopper 110. Nuts 154 are preferably welded to the upper surfaces of the walls 153, and bolts 155 projected upwardly through aligned apertures in said walls 153 and lips 109 to secure the hopper extender 150 to the hopper 110.

The open, inner sides of the channel beams 151 are covered by means of guides or plates 152 welded at the uppermost edges thereof to the inwardly directed edges of the upper walls 153. Said plates 152 extend downwardly below the lowermost wall 153 and are welded thereto. Due to the difference in extent of the walls 153 and 153', the plates 152 converge in a downward direction and direct the flow of inpouring sand onto the slanted wall surfaces 111. The plates 152 prevent the sand from collecting on the walls 153 of the beams '151 and also tend to prevent the sand from becoming caked on the vertical walls of the hopper 110.

A centrally positioned, longitudinally disposed strengthening rib is provided at 160. .Said rib is preferably of box construction comprising, in the form shown, a channel member 156 closed at the open side thereof by means of a plate 157. The rib is welded or otherwise suitably secured to the end m ost plates 152'to give rigidity to the hopper extender 150.

This newly designed hopper extender not only increases the capacity of the hopper but also eliminates material build up which is characteristic ofconventional extenders. The box construction of the central rib and the convergingplates on the beams more efficientlydh rect the flow of sand through the hopper tothe conveyer and, therefore, to the spinners.

It will be understood that the mechanical-type spreader of the first embodiment may be mountedinter'mediate the ends of the truck, as illustrated in the second embodiment of my invention, when the hopper is mounted directly to the truck frame. Also, the hydraulic actuated spreader of the second embodiment may be mounted rearwardly upon a dump type truck as shown in FIG. 1. Finally, either type of spreader may be mounted to-the rear of a truck whereinthe hopper is mounted directly to the truck frame.

It will beunderstood that numerous changes may be made in my invention, such as changes in size anddimension, without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. In a sand spreader for a vehicle having a driving control station, a hopper for storing a supply of sand, -a pair of chutes disposed adjacent one end of said hopper, said chutes having top entrances and bottom outlets, a conveyer mounted longitudinally beneath said hopper, a pair of shafts mounted one within each of said chutes, a pair of rotary spinners mounted adjacent the lower ends of said shafts, driving means connected to the upper ends of said shafts for rotating said shafts, said driving means connected to said conveyor, the combination wherein said hopper is provided with discharge means at either end thereof adjacent the ends of said conveyer, said driving means including reversible transmission means whereby said conveyer may be driven in either direction to either deliver sand from said container to the top entrances of said chutes or alternatively to deliver sand to discharge means at the opposite end of said hopper.

2. In a sand spreader for a vehicle, a hopper mounted upon said vehicle for carrying a supply of sand, said hopper having adjustable discharge openings at either end thereof, a pair of chutes disposed adjacent one end of said hopper, said chutes having top entrances and bottom outlets, a conveyer extending longitudinally of said hopper from one of said discharge openings to the other of said discharge openings and adapted to deliver sand from said hopper to a selected one of said discharge openings, a pair of shafts mounted one within each of said chutes, each of said shafts having a lower end projecting below the bottom outlet of the chute in which it is mounted, a pair of rotary spinners mounted one upon each of said lower ends of said shafts, gear mechanism adapted to drive said conveyer and said shafts from a common drive shaft, a pair of pivoted deflectors mounted on opposite sides of said chutes in spaced relation to said rotary spinners, said deflectors pivotable to control the spread of sand from said spinners, the combination with a prime mover, a hydraulic pump mounted to said prime mover, a supply tank for containing fluid and valve means for directing fluid from said pump through said tank back to said pump, a hydraulic motor mounted upon said common drive shaft, said valve means adapted to direct fluid under pressure from said pump through said hydraulic motor in either of two opposite directions to optionally drive said common drive shaft in either of two opposite rotative directions whereby the movement of said conveyer and said shafts may be reversed or stopped.

3. In a sand spreader for a truck-type vehicle having a control cab, a hopper for storing a supply of sand, a pair of chutes disposed adjacent one end of said hopper,

said chutes having top entrances and bottom outlets, a conveyer mounted longitudinally beneath said hopper and adapted to deliver sand therefrom to the top entrancesof said chutes, a pair of shafts mounted one Within each of said chutes, each of said shafts having a lower end projecting below the bottom outlet of the chute in which it is mounted, a pair of rotary spinners mounted one upon each of said lower ends of said shafts, driving means connecting the upper ends of said shafts for rotat ing said shafts, a gear transfer box adapted to connect said driving means of said shafts to a common drive shaft, a reduction gear box adapted to drivingly connect said conveyer with said common drive shaft, a pair of pivoted deflectors mounted on opposite sides of said chutes in spaced relation to said rotary spinners to control the spread of sand therefrom, a prime mover, the combination with starter and control means mounted in said cab for actuating said prime mover, a hydraulic pump mounted to said prime mover, a fluid supply tank, a hydraulic motor mounted to said common drive shaft, a control valve having a plurality of hydraulic lines eX- tending therefrom and interconnecting with said hydraulic pump, said hydraulic motor and said supply tank, said valve actuable to direct fluid from said pump in two alternate opposite directions to drive said hydraulic motor in either of two opposite directions, said valve being actuable to direct the fluid from said hydraulic pump to said supply tank and back to said pump there by by-passing said hydraulic motor, handle means for actuating said valve, remote control means mounted in said cab and adapted to move said handle of said valve, remote control means for pivoting said deflectors mounted in said cab, said hopper having adjustable discharge openings at either end thereof whereby sand may be optionally delivered either to said chutes or to the end of said hopper opposite said chutes to discharge said sand.

4. A truck-type vehicle having a driving control station, a hopper for storing a supply of sand mounted upon said vehicle, a conveyer mounted longitudinally beneath said hopper, discharge openings at either end of said hopper adjacent the ends of said conveyer, a hydraulic motor driving said conveyer, a prime mover, a hydraulic pump driven by said prime mover, a fluid supply source, a valve directing fluid through said hydraulic motor in either of two opposite directions to drive said conveyer to convey sand optionally to either end of said hopper, said valve adjustable to direct the fluid whereby it bypasses said hydraulic motor and returns to said supply source.

5. A truck-type vehicle having a driving control station, a hopper for storing a supply of sand mounted upon said vehicle, a conveyer mounted longitudinally beneath said hopper, adjustable discharge openings at either end of said hopper adjacent the ends of said conveyer, a hydraulic motor driving said conveyer, a prime mover, a hydraulic pump driven by said prime mover, a fluid supply source, a valve having a plurality of hydraulic lines interconnecting said hydraulic motor, said pump, and said supply source therewith, said valve adjustable to direct fluid through said hydraulic motor in either of two opposite directions to drive said conveyer to convey sand optionally to either end of said hopper, said valve adjustable to direct the fluid whereby it by-passes said hydraulic motor and returns to said supply source, a handle for actuating said valve, and remote control means mounted at said control station for actuating said handle.

6. A truck-type vehicle having a control cab, a hopper for storing a supply of sand mounted upon said vehicle,

a conveyer mounted longitudinally beneath said hopper, adjustable discharge openings at either end of said hopper adjacent the ends of said conveyer, a hydraulic motor driving said conveyer, a prime mover, a hydraulic pump mounted upon said prime mover, a fluid supply tank, a valve having a plurality of hydraulic lines interconnecting said hydraulic motor, said pump, and said tank therewith, said valve directing fluid through said hydraulic motor in either of two opposite directions to drive said conveyer to convey sand optionally to either end of said hopper, said valve adjustable to direct the fluid whereby it by-passes said hydraulic motor and returns to said supply tank, a handle for actuating said valve, remote control means mounted in said cab for actuating said handle, and remote control means mounted in said cab for starting and controlling the speed of said prime mover.

7. A combined sand spreading and material delivering vehicle comprising a chassis, a control cab, a hopper mounted upon said chassis having discharge openings at either end thereof, a conveyer mounted longitudinally beneath said hopper and adapted to deliver sand to either of said openings, sand spreading mechanism mounted adjacent one end of said hopper, power means for actuating said sand spreading mechanism and said conveyer, and control means mounted within said cab for actuating said sand spreader and said conveyer whereby said conveyer may be driven to move sand in the direction of said sand spreading mechanism or whereby said conveyer may be reversed to deliver said sand to the end of said hopper opposite said sand spreading mechanism to discharge the same from said hopper.

8. In a sand spreader for a vehicle, a hopper mounted upon said vehicle for carrying a supply of sand, said hopper having adjustable discharge openings at either end thereof, chute means disposed adjacent one end of said hopper, said chute means having top and bottom outlets, a conveyer extending longitudinally of said hopper from one of said discharge openings to the other of said discharge openings and adapted to deliver sand from said hopper to a selected one of said discharge openings, shaft means mounted Within said chute means, said shaft means having a lower end projecting below the bottom outlet of the chute in which it is mounted, spinning mechanism mounted upon a lower end of said shaft means, gear mechanism adapted to drive said conveyer and said shaft means from a common drive shaft, the combination with a prime mover, a hydraulic pump mounted to said prime mover, a supply tank for containing fluid and valve means for directing fluid from said pump through said tank back to said pump, a hydraulic motor mounted. upon said common drive shaft, said valve means adapted to direct fluid under pressure from said pump through said hydraulic motor in either of two opposite directions to optionally drive said common drive shaft in either of two opposite rotative directions whereby the movement of said conveyer and said shaft means may be reversed or stopped.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 991,792 Lawler et al. May 9, 1911 2,489,055 Steinacher Nov. 22, 1949 2,697,609 Chase et al Dec. 21, 1954 2,705,149 Torrey Mar. 29, 1955 2,799,510 Schmidt July 16, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 491,140 Canada Mar. 10, 1953 Disclaimer 2,988,368.D0nald R. Kerr, Bucyrus, Ohio. SAND SPREADING MECHA- N ISM WVITH REVERSIBLE OONVEYER. Patent dated June 13, 1961. Disclaimer filed May 24, 1965, by the assignee, Shun/I: Manufactumlng C ompany, I no. Hereby enters this disclaimer to claims 4, 5, 6 and 7 of said patent.

[Ofii'cz'al Gazette June 29,1965.] 

